Friday, August 29, 2014

Weekly Links: Hello Kitty Is Not A Cat?


Happy Friday!

Syllabus week has come to a close.
 Classes and activities are now in full swing and unfortunately so is my love for Netflix. I just started How I Met Your Mother and I can't get enough of it.

*Click the hyperlinks below to be redirected to the original article*



The VMAs were on Sunday  night and  I have to admit, they started off great. Then it hit about 10 and I was  kind of over it. Anyone else feel that way? The VMAs are really about the performances so I wanted to share this link about Taylor Swift's new single 'Shake it off' that she performed. My friends and I thought Taylor barely sang her performance and after further speculation it turns out we were right. I've never been a T swizzle fan, but I am disappointed that she relied so heavily on a background track.



My whole childhood was a lie! Sanrio revealed this week that Hello Kitty is not a cat. Yes, you read that right. Sanrio created Hello Kitty after a real girl, Kitty White. The company said she is a child- a third grade girl to be exact- and is never depicted on all fours as a cat would be. For the record, Hello Kitty actually has a cat named Charmmy Kitty. 5th grade Sarah's mind is blown right now.



We go from Hello Kitty devastatingly not being a cat to some of the best news I've heard. In September, a pop up Central Perk will be in Manhattan. I think it's crossed everyone's mind at least once while watching Friends, that yes- going to Central Perk would be pretty cool. Real props from the show will be in the coffee shop and it gets better- admission is free and there will be live performances of songs that were on the show.

The cafe will be on 199 Lafayette Street and  will be open from September 17 to October 18.


The Boston Marathon bombing has a silver lining for James Costello and Krista D'Agostino. The newly weds met when Krista was James' nurse after the bombing. Although they met because of an unfavorable circumstance, James said he would have most likely would have never met his wife any other way. The couple's wedding photos will make your day.

Random Little Links:

I am loving the beautiful weather that has ever so kindly reached all the lovely people in Vermont. 

This weekend I hope to go downtown to the farmer's market. I love seeing the creativity, craftsmanship and love from different people in my community.

 Wherever you are, I hope warm weather reaches you and that your days are filled with good company!

Best,
Sarah

Monday, August 25, 2014

The Creative Class


Happy Monday!
How are you? It's been a while! The whirlwind of squeezing in the last few moments of summer, moving into a new dorm and training has come to a close. 

Today marks the first day of classes here in the green mountain state. There's a special feeling in the air when school starts and I could not be more excited.

To kick off classes starting, I wanted to share a quick story to inspire all of us to dream BIG. This year is a new chapter, the options are endless and you have the power to create something wonderful!


Date rape drugs, unfortunately, get associated with college campuses quite often. To help combat this issue college students Tyler, Stephen, Ankesh, and Tasso (pictured above) developed Undercover Colors: A nail polish that changes colors when exposed to date rape drugs.  The group thought of this idea after learning that they all knew someone who was sexually assaulted. You can read more about their innovative product here.

If you're also starting your classes I wish you the best of luck! This year is going to be your year.

Best,
Sarah

Sunday, August 10, 2014

OOTD: More Pizza Please




Good Morning everyone!
Everyone loves pizza, but Mondays? Not so much.




Recently, I've become a sucker for baggy shirts with a cute phrase or cool graphic plastered on them. So when I saw this  from Jac Vanek (I LOVE her- check her out in another ootd here!) I knew I just had to buy it.


Sure, "The difference between pizza and your opinion is that I asked for pizza" is a little sassy, but it's all in good fun. The font, the phrase, the tye dye- I love it all.



When I first bought these I put a picture up on my Tumblr. I just now got around to putting them together with an outfit.

I love that these shoes are essentially combat boots, yet can still be worn when it's hot in the summer. Most of the reviews on this shoe said that they run small and are, at times, uncomfortable. However, I have not had any problems with them yet so they're as good as gold in my book!

This is my last post for a while. I'm on vacation this week and then next week I'm off to Vermont to prepare for school! 

Best,
Sarah

Friday, August 8, 2014

Weekly Links: Concert Appreciation


Hello there and happy Friday!

This week was filled with lovely things. The main thing was that on Tuesday, I met up with my lovely friend Deborah and watched One Direction at MetLife stadium. It blows my mind that One Direction played in front of 85,000 people not one, but two nights in a row!
  It.was.ah-mazing. (am-zayn for you directioners out there) 

  5 Seconds of Summer was the opening act and it was nice to finally see them perform! (Read about my first attempt here) I actually shed a few tears. I screamed and danced with all my fellow concert goers and had a great time.

I tackled the post concert depression stage and have moved on to the nostalgic let me share my pictures with EVERYONE stage. That being said, here are some photos:
Liam

Louis

Luke

Luke talking to Michael

Niall

Zayn

I debated uploading videos too, but I  quickly realized no one wants to hear the screaming and borderline whale noises that came from my mouth- truly embarrassing!

I didn't want to flood this post with too many pictures, so today's Weekly Links is a bit shorter:

*Click the hyperlinks below to be redirected to the original article*



Taking "Draw me like one of your French girls" to a whole new level- I just recently heard about the App called French Girls that allows users to upload a selfie. Unlike Instagram, other users can attempt to draw your selfie regardless of their artistic ability. This could definitely spark some laughs, a stroke of creative genius or even a picture you'll covet forever. I think it's a pretty cool idea!


There's an awesome discussion going around Reddit right now, where people are submitting photos of themselves along with their celebrity look alikes. Some people are undoubtedly switched at birth, while others not so much. However, I am willing to bet money that Ed Sheeran's twin is in fact just another picture of Ed Sheeran- they look that similar.
Random Little Links
5.How a 13 became a CEO; yes you read that correctly!

Today marks my last day at my Summer internship. I am so grateful to have worked with the wonderful people in my department. I learned so many things in such a short  period of time! I'm sad to leave, but it means school is right around the corner.

Have a wonderful weekend!
Best,
Sarah

Sunday, August 3, 2014

What Does One Bring to College?


Happy Monday!
Now that August is here I guess It's time to face the fact that school is just around the corner. I already have a year of college under my belt, but it still makes me sad knowing  that I leave my family and friends in just a few weeks.

In my first year of college I learned quite a bit (read the reflective letter I wrote  to my timid High School Senior self). One of the most important things I learned through out that year happened to be all about dorm organization.

Today I wanted to share the important items you'll need before you venture off to your new humble abode.

Bed:


A bedside buddy- my school had this on their list of recommended items and I bought one without even knowing what it was. A bedside buddy....uhhh ok. Turns out, it is single handedly one of the best things you could buy. A bedside buddy hangs off the side of your bed and has numerous pockets for books, tissues, a tv remote, sleeping mask- you catch my drift. It will hold anything you could ever need right beside you. If you plan it right, you may never have to leave your bed.


A mattress topper- Dorm beds are not all that comfortable so a mattress topper is important. They come in different sizes so make sure you get a twin XL. Some are made out of foam, some are more of a pillow type of material and  there's also an egg crate design. Whichever you choose, know that your bed as school will probably become comfier than yours at home!


A back pillow- Ok, so I'm sure a back pillow isn't the proper name for this pillow, but I use it as a back rest! Many nights of studying in bed (or browsing Tumblr) were spent leaning back on a pillow like this! This is also perfect for having group study sessions in your room and you don't want you friends to lean against a wall or be uncomfortable.

Organization:


Command Hooks- Command Hooks and strips are the best things for a dorm room! They are sturdy, easy to use and leave no damage behind when you have to take them down! I've used these babies to hang up picture frames, lights, bags, jewelry and more. They come in so many different sizes and colors. The possibilities are endless!


Stackable storage bins-  I brought a lot of storage bins with me to school last year. However, they cluttered up different places all over my room AND I had so many of them that I forgot where certain things were. To become more efficient this year I bought some stackable, clear storage bins from Walmart. Stacking them allows everything to be in one location and being clear allows me to easily find what I need without having to open every bin. To improve this one step further I am even going to use my label maker to label each drawer! (i.e food, cleaning supplies, maintenance etc.) 


A Trunk- For the things you don't want in the above mentioned clear bins. Last year, extra bed sheets, out of season clothes and extra beauty products were stored in my trunk. The added wheels make it easy to roll out from under your bed if you decide to place it there.

Odds and Ends:


(This is my side of my freshman dorm room. The quote you see is from The Maine. I typed up letters, printed them out and stuck them to the wall! Look at that wonderful glow!! Side note: This is also pre my one direction shrine- as the year progressed, I slowly added more and more pictures of Harry Styles' face near my bed. No Shame.)

 Two words: Christmas lights! If your school allows it, christmas lights are one of the best things to hang in your room. They make your room look magical at night. They also are super easy to hang with command hooks. There were times were I was going to sleep before my roommate or vice versa so we would turn off our main light but keep our Christmas lights on. They still give off enough light for you to see, but in cozy and subtle way.


Felt Hangers- Swap your old hangers for felt hangers. These can be found at Walmart, Bed Bath and Beyond, Marshalls and Target amongst other places. Felt helps clothes from sliding off and they are more compact than regular hangers. In other words, that means more clothes can hang in your tiny college closet- hallelujah! (Read more about velvet hangers over on It's Tidy Time)


A full length mirror will be fully utilized at school. Hang it on the back of your door, prop it against the wall... it makes getting ready 10x easier because you can see your whole outfit in one shot. Just don't put it near your window. My room mate and I did that and as you can imagine, since we are in Vermont after all, the mirror cracked. Oops.


A towel wrap- Target has the cutest towel wraps around. It's made like a towel, but has velcro. Easy to throw and walk back to your room in after you take a shower. The added pockets are a nice bonus. Don't be the one that gets locked out of their dorm room!

Desk:


A desk lamp with charger- Target sells relatively cheap desk lamps that not only have a spot for pens or pencils, but also for electronics. You can work at your desk and charge your laptop or phone at the same time. I have the white lamp and love it!


Buzzfeed, of course, has a fantastic post on how to make your dorm feel more like home. See the list of 37 awesome ideas here. (My roommate and I are looking into trying idea 9 this year!)

More fun dorm ideas and college facts in general can be found on my College board on Pinterest! Is there anything in your dorm room that you think is essential? Let me know!

Have a lovely week!
Best,
Sarah

Saturday, August 2, 2014

Liebster Award



Hello everyone! 
I know posting on the weekend is not a normal thing for me. When I post on the weekend, you know something special is coming your way! 

The other day I received a lovely comment from a fellow blogger named Kathryn, the creative mind behind  Nimblenote. Kathryn nominated me for a Liebster Award. This snazzy idea allows different bloggers all around the web to nominate other bloggers to answer questions. Think of it as meeting someone for the first time or a rapid fire speed dating session or maybe even all the questions you would ask someone you admire from afar if you ever got the chance to actually talk to them. It's a fun concept! The world is filled with so many creative people and beautiful writers so I think the Liebster Award is an amazing way to  discover other exciting blogs and wonderful people!

First, here are the rules:
You must answer all 11 questions given to you by the person who nominated you.
- You must link back to the person that nominated you.
- After completing these questions you must nominate 11 bloggers (with under 200 followers) and give them 11 questions of your choice.
-You can not nominate the person who nominated you.
You must let your nominees know that they have been nominated and provide a link to your post so that they can learn about it.

Thank you Kathryn for nominating me! Kathryn is a budding blogger  as well and it would be awesome if you took a few minutes to check out her work by clicking here!! :)

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The questions Kathryn gave me are as follows:

1. What is your favourite quote?
I love quotes! I have a huge board of them on Pinterest ( take a look by clicking here). I don't know if I can pin point just one, but this is definitely one of my favorites at the moment:



2. Which country would you like to move to?
I romanticize about living somewhere in England or Australia. No particular reason really, I just think both places are very beautiful from what I've seen through YouTube vlogs or pictures!

3. Who would be the person you missed most if you moved to the country about?
This is hard- I want to say my whole family! As for one person, I would miss my mom dearly.

4. Favourite TV show?
It is so hard for me to keep up on shows. I'm so lazy! However, I love anything on Food Network or HGTV. (I know, I'm a grandma) I also LOVE Saved By the Bell. Go Bayside!

5. If you could do any sort of extreme activity what would it be and why?
I think it would be cool to learn how sky dive.  It's always a great thing when you can go out of your comfort zone. I think it would be really cool to have all that nervousness build up inside of you and then jump out of a plane and just float on down to the ground, feeling free. My uncle actually does this in his free time so this idea of mine could become a reality if I truly wanted it to... but jumping out of a plane seems terrifying! Maybe one day.

6. Favourite crisp flavour?
Ok, for my fellow readers in America, a crisp is a chip. I love kettle cooked potato chips. It doesn't even matter the brand, that extra crunch just does it for me.

7. Which fictional place would you most like to visit?
Hands down Prettyville.   Scott Westerfeld sets up the ultimate dystopia in his book Uglies. The Uglies series is truly fantastic and typing this right now makes me want to read all of the books again. Basically, Prettyville is where everyone who turns 16 goes after their operation. Not only are the inhabitants gorgeous, but they have parties and live a stress free life, jump off buildings, ride hover boards... It's pretty awesome.

8. If you could spend a day with the British Queen what would you like to do?
This is probably the trickiest question! I'd want to tour Buckingham Palace and probably get some frozen yogurt. Maybe go shopping. We would have the ultimate girls day out and maybe Kate could tag along too.

9. What item of furniture would you like to be?
A bed. Not only comforting, but also everyone's favorite thing to see after a long day. It's the spot where people relax and dream. If I could play apart or help loft someone's dreams, well that would just be incredible. (Cheesy I know, but it is so true!)

10. If you where given £50,000 what would you do with it?
(That converts to $67,137.50) Present day me would want to save most of it or at least put it towards college. I'd be lying if I said some shoe shopping wouldn't be happening as well. Future me would probably use that money towards a house or car.

11. What was the last thing you 'wet' yourself laughing at?
Oh goodness. I know it's happened, but I don't recall when. Even if I did, as much as love you all,  I would never reveal that! :)

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I nominate these lovely bloggers:
- Emily Emily B Marsh
- Hayley The Underliners
- Rikki The Style Clash
- Phoebe Phoebe's Diaries
- Cerys and Chloe Teens with a Blog

and now here is the final (and most fun!) step: their questions!

1. If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?
2. What is your favorite article of clothing, current or from the past, and why?
3. What was the first album you were given/ bought?
4. What thing/person/item/ trend are you currently obsessing over?
5.  What is your lucky number?
6. Have you ever met anyone famous? Details!
7.  If you could change your first name, what would you change it to?
8.  What was the first thing you bought with your own money?
9.  What was the last movie/ book that made you cry?
10.  What website do you tend to go on the most?
11. What song perfectly describes your life?

Now  that you all know a little bit more about me keep the pattern going! Please check out Kathryn and other bloggers that were nominated! Who knows, you could find a new daily read to add to your reading list!

Have a great  rest of your weekend!
Best,